Measurement device and measurement method

Abstract

A measurement device includes: a capturing part for causing a liquid to capture detection target particles contained in a gas and causing a fluorescent substance specifically bondable to the detection target particles to be bonded to the detection target particles; a droplet forming part for forming aerosol-like droplets from the liquid; and a measurement part for irradiating light onto the droplets and measuring the fluorescence intensity of the droplets. The capturing part includes a cyclone which swirls the gas introduced from a gas introduction part in a circumferential direction, separates the detection target particles toward a wall surface of the cyclone body under a centrifugal force, introduces the liquid from the liquid introduction part, causes the liquid to capture the detection target particles separated toward the wall surface and continuously supplies the liquid to the droplet forming part.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A measurement device, comprising:
 a capturing part configured to cause a liquid to capture detection target particles contained in a gas and configured to cause a fluorescent substance, which is specifically bondable to the detection target particles, to be bonded to the detection target particles existing in the liquid, and including a cyclone provided with:
 a cyclone body; 
 a gas introduction part installed in an upper portion of the cyclone body at a first height, and supplying the gas into the cyclone body; and 
 a liquid introduction part installed on a wall surface of the cyclone body at a second height lower than the first height, and supplying the liquid into the cyclone body; 
 
 a droplet forming part connected to a lower portion of the cyclone body and installed in a main pipe, the droplet forming part configured to form aerosol-like droplets from the liquid supplied from the capturing part; and 
 a measurement part installed in the main pipe at a downstream side of the main pipe from the droplet forming part, and configured to irradiate light onto the droplets and configured to measure the fluorescence intensity of the droplets, 
 wherein the cyclone swirls the gas introduced from the gas introduction part in a circumferential direction of the cyclone body, separates the detection target particles existing in the gas toward the wall surface of the cyclone body under a centrifugal force, introduce the liquid from the liquid introduction part, causes the liquid to capture the detection target particles separated toward the wall surface of the cyclone body, and continuously supplies the liquid to the droplet forming part. 
 
     
     
       2. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the cyclone further includes a level detection part installed in the wall surface of the cyclone body, and configured to detect a level of the liquid introduced into the cyclone body, the cyclone configured to adjust a flow rate of the liquid introduced from the liquid introduction part based on a detection result of the level detection part. 
     
     
       3. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid introduction part is configured to introduce the liquid containing the fluorescent substance into the cyclone body. 
     
     
       4. The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a second liquid introduction part configured to merge the liquid containing the fluorescent substance with the liquid flowing through a pipe for interconnecting a lower portion of the cyclone body and the droplet forming part is connected to the pipe. 
     
     
       5. The device of  claim 4 , wherein the liquid introduction part is configured to introduce a liquid for pretreating the detection target particles into the cyclone body. 
     
     
       6. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the capturing part further includes a second cyclone provided with a second cyclone body and a second gas introduction part installed in an upper portion of the second cyclone body, a lower portion of the second cyclone being connected to the gas introduction part of the cyclone and the second cyclone configured to swirl a gas introduced from the second gas introduction part in a circumferential direction of the second cyclone body, separate detection target particles existing in the gas toward a wall surface of the second cyclone body under a centrifugal force, and continuously supply the detection target particles to the gas introduction part of the cyclone. 
     
     
       7. The device of any one of  claim 1 , further comprising a suction-exhaust part installed above the cyclone body, and configured to suction-exhaust and depressurize an interior of the cyclone body and configured to introduce the gas from the gas introduction part under a differential pressure so as to swirl in the circumferential direction is installed in the cyclone. 
     
     
       8. The device of any one of  claim 1 , further comprising a swirling part installed within the cyclone body near the upper portion of the cyclone body, and configured to swirl the gas introduced from the gas introduction part in the circumferential direction. 
     
     
       9. The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a heating mechanism installed in the capturing part and configured to heat the liquid. 
     
     
       10. The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a cooling mechanism installed in the capturing part and configured to cool the liquid. 
     
     
       11. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the measurement part is configured to measure the fluorescence intensity of the droplets in two or more kinds of different wavelength ranges. 
     
     
       12. The device of  claim 1  wherein the measurement part is configured to measure the fluorescence intensity of the droplets and the scattered light intensity of the droplets. 
     
     
       13. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the fluorescent substance is a fluorescence-labeled antibody. 
     
     
       14. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the fluorescent substance is an antibody agglomeration particle whose surface is modified with a plurality of fluorescence-labeled antibodies. 
     
     
       15. A measurement method, comprising:
 a capturing process of causing a liquid to capture detection target particles contained in a gas and causing a fluorescent substance, which is specifically bondable to the detection target particles, to be bonded to the detection target particles existing in the liquid; 
 a droplet forming process of forming aerosol-like droplets from the liquid supplied from the capturing process; and 
 a measurement process of irradiating light onto the droplets and measuring the fluorescence intensity of the droplets, 
 wherein the capturing process includes a cyclone process of, by use of a cyclone provided with a cyclone body, a gas introduction part installed in an upper portion of the cyclone body at a first height, and supplying the gas into the cyclone body, a liquid introduction part installed on a wall surface of the cyclone body at a second height lower than the first height, and supplying the liquid into the cyclone body, swirling the gas introduced from the gas introduction part in a circumferential direction of the cyclone body, separating the detection target particles existing in the gas toward a wall surface of the cyclone body under a centrifugal force, introducing the liquid from the liquid introduction part, causing the liquid to capture the detection target particles separated toward the wall surface of the cyclone body, and continuously supplying the liquid to the droplet forming process. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the cyclone process includes detecting a level of the liquid introduced into the cyclone body and adjusting a flow rate of the liquid introduced from the liquid introduction part on the detected result. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the fluorescent substance is a fluorescence-labeled antibody. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the fluorescent substance is an antibody agglomeration particle whose surface is modified with a plurality of fluorescence-labeled antibodies. 
     
     
       19. A measurement device, comprising:
 a cyclone body including a wall surface; 
 a gas introduction part installed in an upper portion of the cyclone body at a first height, and configured to supply detection target particles contained in a gas; 
 a liquid introduction part installed on the wall surface of the cyclone body at a second height lower than the first height, and configured to supply a liquid containing a fluorescent substance specifically bondable to the detection target particles; 
 a droplet forming part connected to a lower portion of the cyclone body and installed in a main pipe, the droplet forming part configured to form aerosol-like droplets from the liquid supplied from the cyclone body; and 
 a measurement part installed in the main pipe at a downstream side of the main pipe from the droplet forming part, and configured to irradiate light onto the droplets and configured to measure the fluorescence intensity of the droplets, 
 wherein the cyclone body is configured to cause the fluorescent substance to be bonded to the detection target particles by supplying the liquid supplied from the liquid introduction part so as to form a liquid film along the wall surface and causing the detection target particles to be mixed with the liquid while swirling the gas introduced from the gas introduction part in a circumferential direction and separating the gas and the detection target particles under a centrifugal force.